US3590707A — Self-erecting compressive members in a camera

Claim 1

Independent Claim 241 words

Photographic apparatus for use with at least one selfdeveloping film unit including at least one sheet of photographic material, said apparatus comprising: a housing member having an opening; a closure member adapted to cooperate with said housing member to enclose such film unit adjacent said opening and to subsequently be displaced with respect to said housing member to facilitate the removal of such film unit from said apparatus; means for processing such film unit including at least one pressure applying instrumentality for applying processing fluid onto such sheet of photographic material, said processing means being displaceably mounted upon one of said members and adapted to be displaced between a first position, wherein said pressure applying instrumentality is in operative relationship to such film unit and located in close proximity to said member to which it is mounted and thereby substantially inaccessible for cleaning and visual inspection, and a second position wherein said pressure applying instrumentality is disposed out of close proximity to said member to which it is mounted and thereby readily accessible for cleaning and visual inspection; and means for automatically displacing said processing means from its said first position to its said second position during such displacement of said closure member and for facilitating the automatic return of said processing means to its said first position whenever said closure member is returned to its position wherein such film unit is enclosed by said housing member and said closure member.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 241 words

Photographic apparatus for use with at least one selfdeveloping film unit including at least one sheet of photographic material, said apparatus comprising: a housing member having an opening; a closure member adapted to cooperate with said housing member to enclose such film unit adjacent said opening and to subsequently be displaced with respect to said housing member to facilitate the removal of such film unit from said apparatus; means for processing such film unit including at least one pressure applying instrumentality for applying processing fluid onto such sheet of photographic material, said processing means being displaceably mounted upon one of said members and adapted to be displaced between a first position, wherein said pressure applying instrumentality is in operative relationship to such film unit and located in close proximity to said member to which it is mounted and thereby substantially inaccessible for cleaning and visual inspection, and a second position wherein said pressure applying instrumentality is disposed out of close proximity to said member to which it is mounted and thereby readily accessible for cleaning and visual inspection; and means for automatically displacing said processing means from its said first position to its said second position during such displacement of said closure member and for facilitating the automatic return of said processing means to its said first position whenever said closure member is returned to its position wherein such film unit is enclosed by said housing member and said closure member.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 46 words

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said processing means are mounted on at least one supporting arm pivotally connected to one of said members and said displacing means includes a link having its opposite ends pivotally connected to said one member and said supporting arm, respectively.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 77 words

The apparatus of claiM 2 wherein said link is of a length and shape and connected to said one member and to said supporting arm in a manner to locate said supporting arm adjacent said one member when said members are disposed in their film unit enclosing positions and to effect substantially a 90* pivotal movement of said supporting arm when said closure member is moved to its fully opened position with respect to said housing member.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 71 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a hinge is employed to connect said closure member to said housing member and the radial distance between said hinge and the approximate point of attachment of said supporting arm and said one member is less than the radial distance between the point of attachment of said link and the other said member and the point of attachment of said link and said supporting arm.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 54 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a hinge is employed to connect said closure member to said housing member and wherein said hinge and the connection between said link and said one member are relatively laterally offset by a given amount providing different paths of arcular movement of said other member and said link.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 36 words

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said link is of a predetermined resiliency adapted to provide a slight freedom of pivotal movement of said processing means when said members are in their film unit enclosing positions.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 239 words

In a camera of a type for accommodating a film pack composed of a plurality of so-called self-developing film units for producing finished photographic prints immediately following their exposure including a cover having, respectively, rear and sidewall portions, a transverse hinge at one end connecting with a rear body portion of the camera and latching means therefor, and compressive means adapted to process said film units including a pair of pressure-applying members carried by supporting arms having pivotal connection with inner portions of the cover approximately midway of its length and normally lying within and substantially contiguous with said rear and sidewall portions of the cover in a generally shielded condition, apparatus cooperating with said cover, hinge, supporting arms and pivotal connection for automatically raising said compressive means from their shielded location at a closed condition of the cover to render them substantially fully visible and provide complete access to said pressure-appplying members for inspection purposes upon opening said cover, as for example during each loading of a film pack, said apparatus comprising a bracket integral with said camera body at one side of an internal exposure chamber of the latter and predeterminately adjacent to a given transverse extremity of said hinge, a link member of a given length and means pivotally connecting the opposite ends of said link member, respectively, to predetermined portions of said bracket and to one of said pivotal supporting arms of the compressive means.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 239 words

In a camera of a type for accommodating a film pack composed of a plurality of so-called self-developing film units for producing finished photographic prints immediately following their exposure including a cover having, respectively, rear and sidewall portions, a transverse hinge at one end connecting with a rear body portion of the camera and latching means therefor, and compressive means adapted to process said film units including a pair of pressure-applying members carried by supporting arms having pivotal connection with inner portions of the cover approximately midway of its length and normally lying within and substantially contiguous with said rear and sidewall portions of the cover in a generally shielded condition, apparatus cooperating with said cover, hinge, supporting arms and pivotal connection for automatically raising said compressive means from their shielded location at a closed condition of the cover to render them substantially fully visible and provide complete access to said pressure-appplying members for inspection purposes upon opening said cover, as for example during each loading of a film pack, said apparatus comprising a bracket integral with said camera body at one side of an internal exposure chamber of the latter and predeterminately adjacent to a given transverse extremity of said hinge, a link member of a given length and means pivotally connecting the opposite ends of said link member, respectively, to predetermined portions of said bracket and to one of said pivotal supporting arms of the compressive means.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 14 words

Apparatus, as defined in claim 7, wherein said link is of a nonlinear shape.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 17 words

Apparatus, as defined in claim 8, wherein said link is in the form of a modified ''''S.''''

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 38 words

Apparatus, as defined in claim 7, wherein said bracket and said one supporting arm lie substantially in a plane which extends from said camera body to a location within and adjacent to a sidewall portion of said cover.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 52 words

Apparatus, as defined in claim 7, wherein the radial distance between said hinge and the approximate point of attachment of said supporting arm and cover is less than the radial distance between the point of attachment of said link and bracket and the point of attachment of said link and supporting arm.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 40 words

Apparatus, as defined in claim 7, wherein said hinge and said means pivotally connecting said link member to said bracket are relatively laterally offset by a given amount providing different paths of arcual movement of said cover and said link.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 28 words

Apparatus, as defined in claim 12, wherein said hinge and said means pivotally connecting said link member tO said bracket are relatively vertically offset by a given amount.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 113 words

Apparatus, as defined in claim 12, wherein the length and configuration of said link and the locations of its points of attachment to said bracket and supporting arm are so chosen that during pivotal movement of the cover and supporting arm, the arcual paths described by the point of pivotal connection of said supporting arm to said cover and the point of pivotal connection of said link to said supporting arm proceed convergently during movement of the cover from a spaced condition of said arcual paths at a closed condition of said cover to a substantially superimposed condition during movement of the cover from an approximately 90* open position to one of 180*.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 89 words

Apparatus, as defined in claim 14, wherein the nonlinear shape of said link is of a configuration adapted to permit its clearance of portions of said camera and cover which protrude into a straight line path between the points of pivotal connection of the link to said bracket and supporting arm at open positions of the cover thereby to permit a given substantially constant angular relation between said mounting arm and said cover during said movement of the latter from an approximately 90* open position to one of 180*.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 41 words

Apparatus, as defined in claim 14, wherein during rotation of said cover from a closed position through approximately 90* said link rotates approximately 75* and wherein during rotation of said cover from 90* to approximately 180* said link rotates approximately 90*.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 47 words

Apparatus, as defined in claim 7, wherein said link member is composed of a metal and is of a predetermined resiliency adapted to provide a slight freedom of pivotal movement of said compressive means within shielding portions of the cover at a closed position of the latter.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 37 words

Apparatus, as defined in claim 7, wherein said means pivotally connecting the ends of said link member comprise perforations formed, respectively, in said bracket and said supporting arm and right-angled extremities of said link member inserted therein.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-07-05	1975-01-04	1975-07-06	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-07-05	1979-01-04	1979-07-06	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-07-05	1983-01-04	1983-07-06	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Self-erecting compressive members in a camera

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